November 2019 started off strong for FIU Law that saw three FIU Law Negotiation & Mediation teams compete in the ABA Regional Negotiation Competition held in Chicago. Congratulations to the FIU Law ABA Regional Negotiation Teams, Lais Negron (3L) & Laura Abril (3L) and Lindsay Behnke (2L) & Liane Martinez (2L), that finished the competition as Co-Champions! As Regional Co-Champions, the two teams earned a place at the ABA National Negotiation Competition, to be held at ABA headquarters in Chicago on February 7-8, 2020. Lindsay Behnke & Liane Martinez advanced to the finals seeded first and defeated Cardozo Law School (NYC); Lais Negron & Laura Abril advanced to the finals seeded fourth, and they defeated a team from Northwestern (IL) by a narrow margin. Lais Negron, the current FIU Law Negotiation & Mediation Team President, also finished as Co-Runner-Up at last year’s ABA Regional Negotiation Competition in New York City.
A third FIU Law team—Amanda Radloff (3L) & Natalie Hernandez (3L)—narrowly missed the Final Four, by three points and the vote of one judge in the Preliminary Rounds. In the preliminary rounds, the three FIU Law teams collectively won 5 of 6 rounds and 14 of 18 judges’ ballots, as the three teams went 5-1, 5-1, and 4-2 for judges’ ballots. The FIU Law teams faced teams from University of Illinois, John Marshall, and Drake in the Preliminary Rounds (teams from those school have placed 1st or 2nd in the ABA Regionals 6 times in the past 4 years—Illinois (3), John Marshal (1), and Drake (2)).
The three FIU Law teams were coached at FIU and in Chicago by Prof. David Walter, and they were assisted in their preparations by over 35 current and prospective members of the FIU Law Negotiation & Mediation team over the course of three weeks and more than 50 hours of practice sessions. The 2019 ABA Regionals marked the 5th time in the last 9 years that the FIU Law Negotiation Team has advanced two teams to the ABA Regional Final Four, and the 7th time in the last 9 years that an FIU Law Negotiation team has ranked 1st at the ABA Regionals (2019 (1st, 1st); 2018 (3rd); 2016 (1st/3rd); 2015 (1st); 2014 (1st/2nd/3rd); 2013 (1st/2nd); 2012 (1st); 2011 (2nd/4th).